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‘Naqba Day’ clashes: Israeli troops fire at Palestinians

Palestinians clash with Israeli soldiers on the 63rd anniversary of "Nakba" (UPI)

Over a dozen people have been injured after clashes erupted in East Jerusalem neighbourhoods during so-called ‘Naqba Day’ demonstrations. Israeli troops fired two tank shells and several machine gun rounds as Palestinian youths approached the border with the Jewish state. Demonstrators hurled stones at border policemen who responded with tear gas. Sunday’s march commemorates the uprooting of Palestinians during the war over Israel’s creation in 1948. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven out during the fighting more than six decades ago. The army imposed a 24-hour lockdown on the occupied territories which will end at midnight. Until then, only humanitarian cases are allowed to cross from Palestinian areas into Israel.